Traction threshing apparatus.



R. SYLVESTER.

TRACTION THRESHING APPARATUS. APPLICATIVONV FILED APR. 22, 1914.

1,185,957. Patented June 6,1916.

WITNEEDSEfi. INVENTOR.

.5 .ysl- 1 W W"- ATTY.

RICHARD SYLVESTER, OF LINDSAY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

'macrron enrmsmne arrarmrus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

' Application filed April 22, 1914. Serial No. 833,821.-

To all whom it may concern a through a field, and adapted also to pick up shown in outline, but as the details of-this., machine form no part of the present invensheaves or loose grain as they travel. In devising such apparatus several problems present themselves for solution;'

For effective work the pick-up mechanism must be placed at the front of the apparatus and yet the apparatus must be steered from the front: to keep down the number of operators required the pick-up mechanism should deliver the sheaves or loose grain di-- rect to the feeding ,mechanism of the thresher and must do this effectively without being affected by the steering movements or by any irregularities in the ground: to insure the ick-up-mechani'sm always oper-- ating efl'ectively it is necessary to adjustits' forward end .vertically and this must be done without materially affecting the relationship of the rearward end to the feeding mechanism of the thresher.

I have solved the problems referred'toby constructing the apparatus substantially as described and'illustra'ted'in the accompanying drawings in which I Figure 1 is aside elevation partly-broken away showing part of a threshing machine with sheaf pick-up mechanisimattached; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away of the pick-up mechanism; arid Fig. 3 is a plan View of the connection of the frame of the pick-up mechanism with its rear axle. r In the drawings like numerals of refer-v ence indicate corresponding ;parts in the diff ferent figures. 0

In Fig. 1', part of the threshing machine is tion, only such portions as are specially concerned with the present invention will'be specifically referred to.

The machine will be of the type provided with automatic. feeding apparatus, and 1 represents the conveyer of this feeding 'apparatus which leads to a point adjacent the cylinder of the machine, 2 being a chute leading into the machine at a suitable angle in Traction the ends. of the axle.

and in a suitable position to \feed the un-- threshed straw to the cylinder of the ma;

chine.

To the thresher is connected a pick-up mechanism whleh is arranged and connected rear end in the manner hereinafter descrlbed. The forward ground wheels 5 are arranged as steering wheels, the wheels being arranged to be swungin the manner com; mon in automobile construction. The axle 6 of each of these steering wheels is vertically pivoted on the frameof the machine and has an arm 7 secured thereto. These arms are pivotally connected with the opposite ends of the connecting rod 8. To one of the axles 6 is secured the arm 9 connected by means of the connecting rod 10 with the steering wheel v11 which actuates the connecting rod 10 in the manner common in automobile construction. Behind the steering wheel is located the-seat 12 from which the man in charge controls the steering of the apparatus. The main frame of the pick-up mechanism is pivotally connected at its rear end, wlth the forward end of the threshing ma ch ne so as to steer the latter. The rear axle 13 \which does not swing in a horizontal plane relatlve to the pick-up mechanism and with whlch plvotal connection may be made in an ordinary manner by means of a vertical king bolt, so that said axle swings rela- -tive to the threshing .machine. i

The frame 3 is connected with the rear axle 13 carrying the wheels 4 in the following manner. The rearmembers 43 of the frame 3-are lIlCllIlQd inwardly so as to join at the central longitudinal plane of the'ap-.

paratus. Ahorizontal pivot bolt 44 longitudinally arranged connects them with the axle 13. The pivot must be loosely arranged so as to permit the frame 3 to swing up and down on the connection as well as to rock transversely. Preferabl I arrange a coil s ring 45 on' the pivot holtwhich engages t e headon the bolt and'the forwardside of the connection between the members43. This spring keeps the joint tight but permits of any yieldingwhich may be necessary. The axle is kept in proper alinement with the frame by means of the chains or cables 46 connecting the sides of the frame with The connection described allows the forward part of the frame 1 ably curved as shown. The rakes 18 are se- 3 to rise or fall relative to the axle 13 or to rock, transversely so that the supporting wheels of the frame are always in contact with the ground notwithstanding any inc: qualities thereof At the forward end of the main frame 3 is located the mechanism for picking upand elevating the sheaves or loose grain. This comprises the elevator frame 14; which is pivoted at 15 at the forward end of the main frame 3. This elevator frame carries the endless conveyer 16, which may be of any. ordinary type and which is provided at one-end with a spindle 21 adapted to be driven by the sprocket wheel 22 secured thereto. At the front of the conveyer are located the rotating pick-up rakes 18 which lift the sheaves or loose grain on the elevator. Each of these consists of a cross-bar provided with a series of teeth 19 prefercured to andcarried'by the sprocket wheels 20 secured to the shaft 21 and on which run the chains 17 of the conveyer.

'Any type of pick-up rakesmay be employed, and I therefore show them in the simplest possible arrangement.

The conveyer and the rakes 'are driven from the shaft 25, which is necessarily coaxial with the pivots on whichthe conveyer frame rocks and indeed practically forms the pivots for the same. One end of this -shaft is provided with a sprocket wheel 26,.

driving by a suitable sprocket chain the sprocket wheel 22. Ttwill be understood of course, that many variations of the drive for the rakes and elevator maybe devised and I do not desireto restrict myself to the specific construction shown.

Tn practice the threshing'machine will be self-propelled, and it is necessary, therefore, to provide means for driving the pick up mechanism by suitableconnections with some' moving part of the threshing machine. For this purpose I journal beneath the main frame 3 of the pick-up mechanism the shaft 28 which bymeansofgsiiitable bevel gearing 29 drives the shaft 25. This shaft will have a suitable flexible connection 30 with the shaft beneath the threshing machine, which may be actuated in any suitable manner, but for bonvenience .other mechanism might be substituted for the shaft .31.

The main point to be observed is that there must be a flexible conneetion with the shaft 28 or other driving gearing of thepick-up mechanism, so that the movements of the latter will not afiect the drive. a

It is necessary-to provide means for adjusting the pick-up mechanism to-bring the rakes 18 in proper relationship to the ground. For this purpose I provide the toggle 'levers 34: pivotally connected with the main frame 3' and the elevator frame 14:. These toggle levers may be operated through the medium of the hand'lever 35' of ordinary type connected with the co tral joint-of one of the-toggles by means 0 the link 36, as shown. This lever .35 is preferably in a position convenient to the operator on the seat 12.

Tt'will-be noted that the rear end" of the conveyer '16 extends rearwardly substantially to a plane. in which lies the axis of the axle of the wheels 4 and just above the forward end of the feed conveyer 1. Thus, asthe pick-u mechanism is swung to one side or the ot erin steering theapparatus, the relative position of the adjacent 'ends of the elevator and conveyer are little, if any, disturbed. As the elevator is somewhat wider than the conveyer,cit is necessary to provide means for guiding the sheaves from one to the other. I therefore provide the flexible wings 39 secured to the frame of the conveyer 1 and the flexible wings 40 secured to the frame of the elevator 14, which overlap one another as shown, the wings '40 lying; inside the wings 39 as is necessary owing to the direction of'travel of the sheaves. These wings yield asv much as may be necessary as the elevator is swung to one side or the other and always properly guide the sheaves to the conveyer 1. I

As the front end of the elevator 14 is n o l s s ralsed and lowered according to conditions by varying the angle of its frame to the ground, it is necessary to provide means for preventing the vertical position of itsrear end relative to the conveyer 1 varying to any marked degree. I therefore ,form" the elevator in two parts hinged together at 41,

so'that the rear end may be supported "with- "out thus preventing the adjustment of its forward" part. The upper part of the eleva' tor is preferably supported from the frame 3 by means'ofthe pivoted links 42. From .this construction it follows that the position of the rear end of the rearward part of the elevator is not materially affected by the adjustment ,of the forward part, the movement of the forward part itself being never at anytime very great. tion of this device involves the sheaves being placed in the field so that the sheaves are elevated at regular intervals. The operator on the seat 12' steers the apparatus from sheaf to sheaf orwindrows of loose grain; "These sheaves are picked up and The operaconveyed back directly to the conveyer 1,-

and a continuous feed 'to the thresher is thus obtained.

From the above description it will be swing vertically thereon; flexible connec-- tions between the sides of the frame and the ends of said axle adapted to maintain the frame in substantial alinement with the axle and its wheels; steering ground wheels for the said frame; and means on said frame for swinging said steering wheels.

2. The combination'of a wheeled receiving apparatus; a steering axle pivoted there'- on to swing horizontally; wheels journaled on the axle; a rigid frame for pick-up mechanism extending rearwardly to said steering axle and having connections therewith whereby it may swing the axle and also rock transversely and swing vertically from a point at the center of the axle; and steering wheels for the aforesaid frame.

3. The combination of a wheeled receiving apparatus; a steering axle pivoted thereon to swing horizontally; wheels journaled on the axle; a rigid frame for pick-up meching wheels of the receiving apparatus and just above the forward end of the feed con- I veyer.

4:. The combination of a wheeled receiving apparatus; ground wheels for steering the same; a feed conveyer thereon; pick-up mechanism including an elevator; connections between the said frame and the ground to swing the latter for steering purposes,- said elevator extending rearwardly substantially to a vertical plane in which lies the axis of the front wheels of the receiving apparatus and just above the forward end of the feed conveyer, and flexible overlapping wings on the frames of said elevator and conveyer to guide sheaves from the one to the other.

5. The combination of a wheeled receiving apparatus; a steering axle pivoted thereon to swing horizontally; wheels journaled 0n the axle; a rigid frame for pick-up mechanism extending rearwardly to said steering axle and having connections therewith whereby' it may swing the axle and also rock transversely and swing vertically from a point at the center of the axle; steering 7 wheels for the aforesaid frame; a feed conveyer on the receiving apparatus; and pick-' up mechanism carried bye-the frame 'aforesaid including an elevator, said elevator extending rearwardly substantially to a vertical plane in which lies the axle of the steering wheels ofthe receiving apparatus and just above the .forward end of the feed-conveyer, the said conveyer also being formed in two parts hinged together, the forward part being pivoted intermediate its ends on the frame of the pick-up mechanism; means for adjusting the angle of the forward part of said elevator to the ground and means for supporting the rearward part of the elevator from the said frame so as to permit of said adjustment.

6. The combination of a wheeled receiving apparatus; ground wheels for steering the same; a feed conveyer thereon; pick-up mechanism including. an elevator; connections between the said frame and the ground to swing the latter for steering purposes, said elevator extending rearwardly substantially to a verticalplane in which lies the axis of the steering wheels of the receiving apparatus and just above the forward end of the feed conveyer, the said conveyer also being formed in two parts hinged to-' gether, the forward part being pivoted intermediate its endson the frame of the pickup mechanism; means for adjusting. the anthe ground; and means for supporting the rearward part of the elevator from the said frame so as to permit of said adjustment, said me'anscomprising a pair of. pivoted links.

Lindsay, Ont., this thirteenth day of April, A. D. 1914.

' RICHARD S-SE'LVESJFER.

v .gle of the forward part of said ele"ator to 

